Two Wheels and TIme
by Thought Reflex
Summary: When they were young Dean taught Sam a lot of useful life skills, such as riding a bike. But who taught Dean, and why had Sam never wondered before? Some Weechester.


**Author notes:** This could be considered my break into Supernatural fanfiction…but beware that if you looking for anything other then a shmoopy brother bonding fic with a bit of weechesters then this is not your story. I don't really like writing small stories, but this one just wouldn't leave me alone and I didn't have the energy for anything larger. Just thought I'd share 

**Disclaime**r: I don't own them. Only crazy people would pay me for this, in which case I would turn them down. Probably.

**Rating**: PG. I don't think there's swearing.

**Summary**: When they were young Dean taught Sam a lot of useful life skills, such as riding a bike. But who taught Dean, and why had Sam never wondered before? Some Weechester.

**Wordcount**: about 4500 give or take a few hundred.

**Warnings:** none.

**Two Wheels and Time**

"No way, Sam. It's not going to happen." Dean leaned against the porch's wooden post, his stance as relaxed as always, his sunglasses hiding his eyes, and Sam glared at him.

"Why not?" he demanded, instantly annoyed at the quirked eyebrow he got in response.

"Uh, gee, let me think for a moment here. Why do I _not_ want to ride a bike all over town like a pansy ass, little bitch? Because seriously, it sounds like such a good time. Maybe we could get streamers on the handlebars too. I'll even be the bigger man and let you have the pink one to match the ribbons in your hair."

"How the hell else do you plan on getting around here for the next two days then? The rental place is out of cars and won't have any until tomorrow," Dean made a face at that, but Sam was pretty sure the disgust was from the idea of sitting in a rental car period. "And that doesn't matter because tomorrow's Sunday and they'll be closed. The taxi service in this place is ridiculously expensive unless you want to head over to the ATM and make a withdrawal," Sam gestured at the bank down the street but Dean didn't follow the gesture, "then there's not a whole lot we can do. The car won't be fixed until Monday and it's not even lunch time yet. How do you plan on getting around?"

"Walking seems like a pretty traditional method of transportation to me," Dean shrugged as he pushed off the post and trotted down the motel's stairs to stand next to Sam.

"Dean, it's a small town, but it's not that small. The diner is at the other end, the convenience store is right next to it and the library is somewhere in the middle. Hell the entire town is situated on this one street, including a majority of the homes. It'll take you at least half an hour to walk anywhere," he crossed his arms over his chest, hoping Dean would see reason. When it didn't look like that would work he decided to try pulling out the big guns, and dropped his gaze slightly, putting on a slight 'awe shucks' look to help sway his big brother. "Besides, it could be fun. I haven't ridden a bike in ages."

He looked up just in time to see his brother's reactive frown disappear and then felt his irritation grow when Dean smirked at him instead, glasses still hiding his eyes.

"That act stopped working when you were five, man, and I am not getting on a damn bike. That's it. If you want to ride to Washington and back that's fine by me, but don't think I'm going to peddle around like a tourist because I'm too impatient to walk an extra ten minutes."

"Fine, whatever. I'm taking a bike."

"I ain't stopping you, Sammy. Ride free," Dean saluted him and then, slinging one bag over his shoulder and grabbing the other, he sauntered off down the path way, room key already in hand.

Sam looked at the bike rack in front of the motel and then at the two lock keys in his hand. The town, though small, was apparently a tourist hot spot, and had a lot of paths around the few small lakes and surrounding forests that they boasted for campers and hikers and the like. People who stayed here often rented out the bikes so they could enjoy what the place had to offer and Sam had figured it was worth a shot. One bike rental had come free with the room anyway, and the girl in the office had been easily swayed into giving him a discount for the second. He wasn't about to take one key back now.

Sighing, he grabbed his own duffle bag and headed for the room. He wasn't really that upset, it's just that he hadn't ridden a bike since Stanford and, as they were between jobs right now and stuck in this place until the parts needed to fix the car came in, he figured it would be something to do. Something that wasn't hunting or driving, or playing pool and drinking beer. Something that was far enough from their normal routine that it could distract them and that it was just plain old fun. Easy fun, with no consequences attached. He hadn't really thought the whole plan through though, because he should have figured Dean wouldn't want to do this. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen him ride a bike.

Well, whatever. If Dean wanted to walk everywhere that was fine by Sam, because he was going to use the damn bike and he was going to enjoy it. It was Dean's loss. With that decision made he entered the room and tossed the spare bike key on the table just inside the door, dumped his stuff on the bed closest to the bathroom, announced he was going to the library just to have something to do, and left.

OoOoOoOoO

By that evening, Sam was acutely aware that Dean's mood, which had been foul to begin with when his baby broke down, had deteriorated as the day went on.

It was too nice to be cooped up in the motel room, but not having a job gave Dean no direction to focus his energies on. Sam knew he had worked out at some point that morning, and cleaned all his weapons, and done the laundry. But that provided only three hours of time before his boredom kicked in, as Sam knew it would.

Dean had just arrived at the library when Sam had finally left, and Sam passed him on his bike ten meters from the entrance. Dean looked annoyed.

"Anything interesting in there?"

"Not really," Sam shrugged, because he had spent the afternoon looking over law texts and knew that Dean wouldn't care to hear that.

"Right. Want to grab a bite to eat?" Dean suggested and Sam shrugged.

"Sure, I'll meet you there," and he peddled off, fast. He had been trying to make a point, and annoy Dean on principle as he left him in the dust, but it was his brother's fault for being so stubborn in the first place. Dean got to the diner ten minutes later and scowled when he discovered that Sam hadn't pre-ordered their meal.

Sam had ridden home quickly after lunch and waited for Dean. When half an hour passed he got back on the bike and sped back to the other side of town, where he saw his brother coming out of the convenience store with a few bags. Dean glared at him when he pulled up beside him.

"I got half way back and realized we needed some supplies," he explained. Which was fine. Sam went off to explore the town on his own as Dean walked 'home.'

When dinner rolled around Sam hopped back on his bike and Dean meandered by him to the sidewalk, picking up a nice casual walking pace and Sam was overcome by the childish urge to circle him as he walked, at least until Dean threatened to kick out his tires and then beat him to death with the handle bars. He said it all cheerfully, like all the walking wasn't getting to him, but Sam could see him grinding his jaw in the dimming light, and he seemed more tense than usual when they finally sat down to dinner.

"If you just took the bike…" he hedged and Dean glared at him this time, truly irritated.

"No means no, Sam, didn't anyone ever teach you that?" he grouched and Sam rolled his eyes. This was just stupid. There was no reason for Dean to make this so difficult. Practically everyone in the town rode their bikes, it's not like Dean would be the odd ball out if he tried. It really wasn't that big of a deal, but apparently he wanted to make a mountain out of a mole hill, so Sam didn't feel guilty at all after dinner as he arrived back at the room with time to shower, fold his clothes and find an interesting movie to watch before Dean finally stepped through the door. It was Dean's choice after all.

OoOoOoO

The bar was a good ways past the diner they'd eaten their meals at and when Dean declined the suggestion they go Sam wasn't bothered by it. It was more Deans' scene anyway and they went to enough local dives while driving across the country that not going was never an issue. Besides which he was a bit sore from all the riding, his muscles having become unused to sitting on a bike seat for any length of time.

Instead he spent the evening searching the internet for any unusual occurrences that they could check out once they were back on the road, and Dean had made a valiant attempt to swim laps in the tiny pool at the back of the hotel. Neither of them actually owned a swimsuit, but seeing as it was late and no one else was around Dean had decided that swimming in his skivvies was proper pool etiquette. Whatever.

By the time they were both back in their room Sam was ready to crash and Dean had already taken a nose dive onto his bed and was ignoring everything Sam said in favour of sleeping.

It was some time later when Sam woke up abruptly, the feeling that something was out of place the first thing on his mind as he stared at the still dark ceiling. The illuminated clock across the room told him it was 3:30 in the morning and the street light filtered in through a parting in the curtains, leaving a yellow streak travelling across both beds. He looked over to check that Dean was all right and sat up like a jack rabbit when he saw that the bed was empty.

Shit, where the hell was he?

He tossed his covers back and moved to the other bed. Dean's knife was still under the pillow and the Impala's keys were on the night stand, not that Dean would have had need for them as the car was still out of commission. Sam looked across at the bathroom, but the light was off and the door wide open, the shadows of the sink and toilet mocking him. Sam glared at them, and then around the room just in case Dean was doing his silent soldier night watch act from some odd location in the room. But it was just Sam. He frowned and moved to the door, intent on checking outside, because it wasn't unusual for either of them to need a breath of fresh air every now and then, especially after a rough dream, but Dean was usually noisier about it, letting the door shut with a little bang so Sam would hear that he went out and wouldn't be worried waking up alone. There had been no indication of this tonight.

Leaving the room quietly, gun tucked into the waistline of the pants he had hastily donned, he scanned the area carefully, his eyes and ears alert for anything. Dean wasn't hanging around anywhere in front of their room or the motel. Sam paused and took a breath. Maybe his brother had just gone to stretch his legs?

He turned his head sharply when he heard the faint crunch of gravel off to his left. It was coming from the side of the building, where the extra parking was for clients with more than one car. Since there was only three other rooms being used Sam knew there were no cars parked their right now, and therefore no reason for anyone to be there.

Drawing his gun he stealthily jogged to the edge of the building, the light from the hotel barely reaching around its side. He ducked behind the large garbage bin and then peeked around the corner, where he stared in confusion, because he had found Dean and had no idea what his brother was doing.

Putting away his gun he watched from the shadows, feeling a bit like a voyeur as his brother stopped pushing the bike he had with him in the centre of the empty side lot, setting it to lean against its kickstand and then stepping back to glare at it. Dean looked at the thing like it affronted him, like it was some form of personal insult, and he frowned as his eyes raked over the metal and rubber contraption.

"Okay," Dean said quietly to himself. "How hard can it be?" His eyes scanned it again and then he stepped towards it like he was going into battle, his game face was on and his concentration was absolute and Sam stared in dawning realization as he watched. Dean didn't know how to ride a bike. But…how was that even possible? Of course he knew how to ride a bike, he had too. Sam thought back to the last time he'd seen Dean on one, and then narrowed his eyes at his brother when he couldn't actually pull up a memory of them riding a bike together. Not even once.

But Dean had been around plenty when Sam had been riding one. Sam watched in curiosity as Dean contemplated his best method of attack and swung one leg over the bike so he was straddling it, his hands gripping the handlebars tightly.

"It's all about the forward momentum," he muttered to himself in the darkness. "Just keep peddling…" He took a breath and then pushed off with one peddle. He went a few feet but had trouble getting his balance and other foot onto that peddle in time. He dropped his feet to the ground and swore under his breath before getting ready to try again. Sam had the urge to go out there and help steady the bike for him while he found his balance, but he didn't fancy a beating and it was clear that Dean was embarrassed about this. Hell, Sam was still coming to grips that Dean really didn't know how to ride, because it was Dean who had taught him.

OoOoO

"Dean, come on! I want to learn now! Please?" Sam looked up at his big brother pleadingly. Dad had brought him the bike for his birthday, because Sam had asked for it really, really, really hard and he'd been really good! His Daddy came home last night, when Dean had been lighting the candles on his big cake, and pushed the bike into their small living room. It was So Cool!! It was blue and red, though the paint was chipping off in a few places but Sam didn't care at all, because it was his! The problem was Dad didn't want him riding it last night in the dark because he said it was too dangerous and he could get hurt. And now he was gone so Dean was in charge again. And Dean had promised he would teach Sam how to ride today after they had watched their dad drive away that morning.

"_Come on…can we go now? Come on, Dean, let's go!" He insisted, jumping up and down behind Dean as his big brother put away the last dish from the clean dish rack. It was Sunday and Sam wanted to learn how to ride so he could go to school tomorrow and tell his friends all about it! Because sure, he'd ridden a tricycle when he was just a little kid, and one of their neighbours a few towns back had even let Sam ride his bike a few times, but it had had training wheels so Sam wasn't sure if that meant he could actually ride a bike. But now Sam had one of his very own and he was going to learn how to ride it and go really fast and it was going to be awesome!!! "Deaaannn! Come on," he pleaded and tugged at his brothers shirt impatiently._

"_All right already, jeeze. You're acting like a freaking five year old. I'm coming already."_

"_Hey! I'm six now!"_

"_Whatever you say Sammy," he smirked and hung the dishtowel on the cupboard door before going over to the front door and holding it open as Sam raced to push his bike through. It was a little tricky getting it down the stairs because Dean said if Sam had such a great toy he needed to be able to take care of it himself. But he helped him a little anyway, because it was a bit heavy and Sam wasn't strong like Dean yet._

"_Helmet," Dean ordered when they were finally in the parking lot and Sam rushed back up to their apartment to get it. Dean said he didn't need any of those wimpy elbow or kneepads, but he always had to ride with a helmet on no matter what. Sam skidded to a stop when he came back down, almost tripping over the gravel, and pointed to the helmet where it was now securely attached to his head._

"_Helmet," he announced and Dean rolled his eyes._

"_Good. Okay, we have some ground rules first, okay?"_

"_Okay!"_

"_First rule: You do what I tell you."_

"_Well yeah, you are the one teaching me how to ride Dean," Sam huffed in exasperation. Of course he would do what Dean told him to, sheesh._

"_Second rule: you stay away from the road. I mean it. If you can't turn in time because you loose control or something just wipe out, okay?"_

"_I'm not going to ride on the road Dean. The cars are there!"_

"_Hey, accidents happen. So you're going to fall off your bike if you get too close, right?"_

"_Right!" Sam bounced on the spot, ready to get going. The parking lot for this place was huge, and there were plenty of places to go that went no where near the road. Most people here didn't have cars, so it would be easy to avoid the few that were there._

"_Third rule: You don't ride where I can't see you. Okay?"_

"_Okay," he eagerly agreed. Let's go, let's go, let's go!!_

"_Okay, so here are the basics Sammy, you listening?"_

"_Yeah!"_

"_Alright, you steer with the handle bars. That's what these are," he pointed at the handles and even though Sam already knew that he nodded eagerly. Dean always covered all the basics when he taught things, just so he didn't forget anything. "You hold onto them all the time, okay? When you want to go one way, you turn them in that direction. Which way is left?"_

"_That way," Sam pointed and Dean nodded in approval. This was going to be great!_

"_Okay, obviously you sit on the seat. That's this here. And you use the pedals to move. You have to have both your feet on them when you're riding to use them properly." Sam looked at them and agreed eagerly. "The pedals are also your breaks. When you're peddling forward you're moving the bike. If you peddle backwards you stop the wheels from turning so fast and slow down that way. You got that?"_

"_Yeah!"_

"_So how do the pedals work?"_

"_Forward to move and backwards to stop," Sam bounced again and Dean knocked on his helmet. "Hey!"_

"_Sounds like you know what you're doing. Lets go."_

_It was tough to start. Sam had to figure out how to sit on the bike but Dean helped him stay steady, even though it was really hard for him. Then the first time he tried he lost his footing and almost fell off, but Dean was still there and he held Sam up. Sam grinned hugely at him and then went to try again. Dean ran beside him, trying to push him to help start off._

"_You have to pedal, Sammy!"_

"_I am!"_

"_More! Peddle faster," Dean ordered so Sam did. It was weird and he had trouble going in a straight line, but when he peddled harder like Dean said it became a bit easier. And then Dean wasn't there anymore and Sam was doing it all by himself!_

"_Dean! I'm doing it, Dean!"_

"_Yeah! Go Sammy!" Sam went all the way to the end of the lot, but he almost fell when he turned the wheel too fast and had to stop. Dean was in the middle of the lot, and he was breathing really hard and was hunched over a bit, but he was smiling like he was proud of him and Sam waved back excitedly. It took a few more starts with Dean's help to get the hang of it, and he figured out how to turn very easily. Dean said he was a natural! And then he told Sam he had to start it by himself and he sat down to watch from the side of the apartment._

_Then, when Sam got good at that, Dean chased him around and they raced and Sam beat Dean almost every time! After lunch Dean let him go out again, and by then the neighbours kids were getting their bikes out as well and Sam played with them while Dean sat with some of their parents and watched. Sam wanted him to play too and offered to let him use his bike, but Dean said no. The only kids their age he played with was Sam, the rest of them would have to entertain themselves. Even later when everyone had gone in for dinner he offered to let Dean ride, but his brother said the bike was too small for him Sam declared Dean needed one himself, but Dean said he didn't want one. He was just glad Sammy liked his._

_Dad got home two days later and Sam told him all about how Dean taught him to ride and how it was sooo cool and he went sooo fast, faster than most of the other kids who had been riding bikes since they were like, four! He even showed him later, after dinner had been cleaned up, and dad said he was really good! A natural! And Sam already knew that because Dean had said, but it was nice that his daddy thought so as well._

_They stayed at that apartment for almost half a year and when they had to move again Dean convinced dad to cram the bike into the back seat with Sam and he would ride in the front. Dad didn't want too but Sam knew Dean could be persuasive when he felt it was important. Dean was just the greatest!_

OoOoOoO

Now Sam watched silently as Dean finally figured out how to get his balance and peddle at the same time, and watched some more as he figured out the dynamics of steering and stopping with the hand brakes and changing gears. When Dean full out grinned in triumph Sam crept back to their room and stripped down, getting back into bed and staring at the dark ceiling.

Dean had never learned how to ride a bike, and somehow Sam had never picked up on this. He thought back to all the times Dean had managed to find one for him to use when they got older. It was easier to stay longer in places once they were both in high school because people didn't question them being alone so much, but Dad never let Sam take a bike with them when they moved after that first time. They were too large to fit in the back seat, but Sam had understood this. Still, Dean somehow managed to get one for him more times than not, declaring it would be easier for him to get around to all his school commitments (when his dad let him or wasn't home), at least until Dean got a car of his own.

Which he didn't, at least not until after Sam left for Stanford and Dad had apparently given him the Impala.

It was half an hour later when Dean came back to the room and Sam pretended he had been sleeping and just woken up.

"Dean?"

"Go back to sleep, Sammy,"

"Where were you?"

"Went to the local pull and tug." Sam could hear the laughter in his voice. "Go to sleep."

"'kay." And he did. However he never slept for long these days and was up again by 5:30 and back in the room with coffee by 5:45. Thank God the front desk at least had coffee. He watched as Dean subtly pulled his hand out form under his pillow once he knew it was Sam back in the room with him, and the familiar twinge of sorrow and anger that his brother even slept with a blade so close washed over him quickly. He couldn't say anything though, and ignored it as being just another part of their daily routine.

"Time is it?" Dean mumbled, not bothering to pull his face out of his pillow yet.

"Almost six."

"What? Why are you up? It's not like we have anything to do," he grumbled and Sam shrugged, even though he couldn't see him.

"I just woke up. I brought some coffee," he announced, and received barely any response.

"Good for you, now go away. Sane people still sleep at this hour."

"Right, whatever. I was going to take the bike out and check out the lake just down the street, see if it's a good place for swimming later," he announced and that got Dean's attention as he rolled over and blinked at Sam in the morning light.

"You're going out on the bike?"

"Yeah," Sam shrugged, "But I shouldn't be too long and then I'll walk with you to the diner for breakfast." Dean stared at him a moment longer through sleep laden eyes, then pulled the bed sheet off the one leg it was still covering and sat up.

"I don't like you going everywhere by yourself," he announced, and stood up, taking one of the coffees from Sam, who raised an eyebrow.

"Well tough, because I'm not sitting around all day and I am not walking everywhere," he announced, and took a drink to hide his grin as he played along.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, quit your whining. I'll take a damn bike already," he started pulling pants over his boxers and tugged a t-shirt over his head, his amulet hidden between the material and his flesh. He was much more animated this morning than most.

"I thought you didn't want to look like a pansy assed tourist," Sam teased, and Dean glared.

"I don't, so you better damn well appreciate what I'm doing for you. Bitch."

"Jerk," he responded automatically before following Dean out into the morning sun, hiding his huge grin when Dean turned to glare at him on principle. "Hey, maybe we could take that bike trail to that group of lakes? They say it's only an hour or so one way, and its not like we have anything else to do."

"Whatever man, let's just get some food or something already," he grumbled, but he was the first one on the bikes, making a show of being put upon as he swung his leg over and sat down, then he led the way out of the parking lot with Sam following close behind.

Maybe they could get some bikes of their own one day, store them at Bobby's or something. Sam remembered that he had a lot of good trails to ride up in that area. Maybe they could actually get decent mountain bikes. It was high time his big brother had something beyond what their lives entailed. Something that he could just enjoy for the sake of it, something he had rarely had in his life. If they did, Sam was going to make sure that Dean's bike was the best one they could afford. It was the least he could do.

End.

I'd love to know your thoughts, but if not I understand . Cheers.


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